Toothbrush holder

ABSTRACT

An enclosure for one or more toothbrushes having a bottom opening in which each toothbrush is inserted and held concealed, and having a release means to lower the toothbrush for each removal.

States Patent 1191 Nielsen 1 Dec. 10', 1974 1 1 TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER [76] Inventor: Chris E. Nielsen, 22 Almaden Ct.,

San Francisco, Calif. 941 18 22 Filed: Jan. 14, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 431,131

[52] US. Cl. 312/206, 211/65 [51] Int. Cl. A47 b 81/02, A46b 17/02 [58] Field 0f Search 312/206, 319, 207; 211/65;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,228,737 1/1966 Ki nls 312/206 3,418,615 4/1947 Bamam, 211/65 3,450,269 6/1969 Simeti 21 1/65 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 2,047,834 4/1971 Germany 312/206 Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Andres H. Nielsen [57] 4 ABSTRACT An enclosure for one or more toothbrushes having a bottom opening in which each toothbrush is inserted and held concealed, and having a release means to lower the toothbrush for each removal.

9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PMENTEB DEC 1 W974 Aaco TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage means for one or more toothbrushes which encloses each toothbrush and retains it out of sight.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toothbrush holder in which each toothbrush may readily be individually inserted or removed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sanitary toothbrush holder.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attractive toothbrush holder.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a wall mounted toothbrush holder.

Another object of the invention is to'provide a toothbrush holder that will accomodate toothbrushes of different lengths.

Referring to the Drawings FIG. 1 is a cross section of the toothbrush holder.

FIG. 2 is a cross section of the toothbrush holder in which a toothbrush has been inserted.

FIG. 3 is a cross section of the toothbrush holder showing a toothbrush being inserted therein.

FIG. 4. is a cross section of the toothbrush holder showing an alternative means for holding the carriage in the elevated position.

FIG. 5 is a view of a toothbrush holder which provides for storage of four toothbrushes.

The holder comprises an open bottomed enclosure 1, having front 26, 19, 20, back 30, side 27 and top 28 plane walls. The front wall 19 is offset outward from front wall 26 to provide adequate space for the bristle end of the toothbrushes. The toothbrushes are'inserted and removed through the open bottom 29.

Enclosure 1 has internal, preferably triangular stops 4 slightly above the junction of the inclined front wall 20 and the upper front wall 26 and located on walls 26 and 30 to provide an elongated slot 33. Upper stops 3 are also located on walls 26 and 30.

A hollow rectangular tube 7 is attached to back wall 30 between top 28 and stop 3. A similar rectangular tube or plunger 31 having a closed end 8 is mounted in slidable relation with tube 7, and extends in slidable relation through an opening 32 in the front wall 26. Preferably, stops l0 and 11 are provided on plunger 31 to limit its outer movement. Spring 9 located interiorly of the tube 7 and plunger 31 maintains the tube 7 and plunger 31 in the extended position with the stops 10 and 11 against the interior of front wall 26.

The plunger 31 has a downward extending catch 5 attached thereto and movable with plunger 31.

Carriage 2 has an upward extending matching catch 6 which engages catch 5 when the carriage is elevated to a position against stops 3. Engagement of the two inclined surfaces on catches 5 and 6 force plunger 31 inward until the inclined surfaces pass. The catches then engage in the conventional manner.

Carriage 2 is rectangular 'and has an internal spring clip 13 curved as shown and is attached in any conventional manner such as with cement or rivets to the upper inner portion of the carriage as at 14. The two ends of spring 13 are curved as shown and may either make light contact or be slightly out of contact as shown in FIG. 1 to provide a slot for ready insertion of a toothbrush handle.

Carriage 2 is readily movable in the enclosure be tween stops 3 and 4 and has inward directed projections 12 on its front and back walls which provide an elongated slot 34 slightly above and preferably narrower than slot 33.

In use a toothbrush is held vertically with the handle up and the bristles directed outward. The inclined surfaces provided by wall 20 stops 4 and carriage projections 12 readily direct the toothbrush handle to the slot 34 between the spring ends.

The spring edges have a slight clearance with the carriage walls to provide free movement as the spring engages or disengages a toothbrush. The width of the spring provides a substantial contact surface to frictionally engage the toothbrush handle when the same is inserted into the spring slot. The toothbrush handle contacts the spring ends at the locations shown when inserted into the holder. The surface areas of the spring ends either have sufficient friction or are coated with a rubber or plastic material to provide enough friction to prevent full entry of the handle between the spring ends until the carriage has been moved to the upper po sition in contact with the stops 3 in which position the latch element becomes engaged. The toothbrush is then pushed completely into the holder to the position shown in FIG. 2. This permits toothbrushes of various lengths to be used in the holder.

Release of the toothbrush is accomplished by pressing end 8 of plunger 31. This releases the catch on the associated carriage and permits it to drop to its lower position exposing the toothbrush which is still held between the ends of the spring.

FIG. 4 shows an alternative catch means. Here either one of the elements 21 or 22 is a magnet and the other comprises a ferromagnetic material attractable to it. Alternatively, both elements 21 and 22 may be magnets of opposite polarity. When the carriage here is raised, magneticattraction between elements 21 and 22 holds the carriage in the upper position. Elements 23, 24 and 25 are preferably plastic and are not attracted to the magnetElements 21 and 24 are attached to plunger 31 and alsov act as the lower stop on plunger 31 similar to lower stop 3 in FIG. 1. The carriage in FIG. 4 is released similarly to the carriage in FIG. 1 by pushing inward on plunger 31. The movement positions the magnetic elements 21 and 22 in offset relation, the magv I netic attraction'is then lost and the carriage falls.

This holder may be made of either metal or plastic and could be either as shown wherein all parts are bonded together and no provision is made for servicing, or it could comprise separate parts wherein disassembly could readily be accomplished for servicing in a conventional manner. Additionally, ventilation means could be provided if desired in the upper portion of the holder. For example, vertical slots could be provided in the upper portion of side walls 27.

FIG. 5 shows an identifying means associated with each of a plurality of carriages.

3 comprising a first slot, a spring attached interiorly of the carriage means and having spaced portions providing a resilient second slot comprising a holding means parallel to and above the said first slot, and means to release the retaining means to permit the carriage to fall to the lower stop means.

2. A holder as in claim 1 wherein the resilient second slot when spread by a toothbrush handle or the like frictionally prevents a substantial entrance of the same until the carriage is elevated to said upper stop and retaining means.

3. A holder as in claim 1 wherein the retaining means comprises a spring biased, plunger-releasable mechanical latch.

4. A holder as in claim 1 wherein the retaining means comprises magnetic elements movable to a nonattracting position by a plunger.

5. A holder as in claim 1 wherein the enclosure comprises a lower front wall section spaced outward from the front wall thereabove and joined thereto by means of an upward sloped section.

6. A holder as in claim 5 wherein said upward sloped section, said lower stop means and the inner walls of said first slot slope upward and inward to provide cooperating guide surfaces toward said resilient second slot.

7. A holder as in claim 1 wherein said spring has a slight clearance with the adjacent walls of the carriage means to provide both free expansion and contraction of the resilient second slot and full contact with the handle of the said toothbrush or the like.

8. A holder as in claim 1 wherein a plurality ofjoined units comprising enclosures and associated carriages are used in an apparatus to provide storage for a plurality of toothbrushes or the like.

9. A holder as in claim 8 wherein means are provided to identify each unit and its associated bottom opening. l 

1. A holder for a toothbrush or the like comprising a wall mounted enclosure having a bottom opening, a carriage means movable within the enclosure between a lower stop means and an upper stop and retaining means, said carriage means having a bottom opening comprising a first slot, a spring attached interiorly of the carriage means and having spaced portions providing a resilient second slot comprising a holding means parallel to and above the said first slot, and means to release the retaining means to permit the carriage to fall to the lower stop means.
 2. A holder as in claim 1 wherein the resilient second slot when spread by a toothbrush handle or the like frictionally prevents a substantial entrance of the same until the carriage is elevated to said upper stop and retaining means.
 3. A holder as in claim 1 wherein the retaining means comprises a spring biased, plunger-releasable mechanical latch.
 4. A holder as in claim 1 Wherein the retaining means comprises magnetic elements movable to a non-attracting position by a plunger.
 5. A holder as in claim 1 wherein the enclosure comprises a lower front wall section spaced outward from the front wall thereabove and joined thereto by means of an upward sloped section.
 6. A holder as in claim 5 wherein said upward sloped section, said lower stop means and the inner walls of said first slot slope upward and inward to provide cooperating guide surfaces toward said resilient second slot.
 7. A holder as in claim 1 wherein said spring has a slight clearance with the adjacent walls of the carriage means to provide both free expansion and contraction of the resilient second slot and full contact with the handle of the said toothbrush or the like.
 8. A holder as in claim 1 wherein a plurality of joined units comprising enclosures and associated carriages are used in an apparatus to provide storage for a plurality of toothbrushes or the like.
 9. A holder as in claim 8 wherein means are provided to identify each unit and its associated bottom opening. 